Downtown Wayne dips its little toe into the big ‘pond’ of First Fridays

First Fridays in Wayne Begin October 3rdAnthony Wayne Theater

Wayne seems like a natural fit for the wave of First Fridays that have sprung up in the last few years in the Philadelphia suburban region. And that is exactly what a group of Main Line business owners, some of the most active members of the Wayne Business Association, were thinking when they decided to organize the inaugural First Friday this October 3rd. “First Fridays just came out of the fact that the downtown merchants here in Wayne, especially the newer merchants, were getting together to think of new ideas to bring more local support of our small businesses and bring the community together,’ First Friday cofounder Liz Ayerle of Wayne Boutique Fresh Ayer said. “Wayne has such a great nucleus. There is such a neat flow and vibe up and down Lancaster and North Wayne Avenue. So, we got together and thought, ‘Why not take advantage of this and make one great night of shopping and dining where we can make ourselves available for the public?’ It’s convenient for those who work late and don’t always have a chance to browse our stores and we are going to make it fun for everyone and do it in our own signature way,’’ Ayerle enthused. The Wayne merchants had been inspired by some other local and successful First Fridays, which act as a night time block party in essence, include First Fridays in Phoenixville and First Friday Main Line (www.firstfridaymainline.com) which is a an arts and cultural night organized by 30 businesses in Bryn Mawr, Haverford and Ardmore

Fresh Ayer

Ayerle says Wayne’s First Fridays should also be considered a ‘green event’ since they are encouraging everyone to walk instead of driving into downtown Wayne and those considering a night in the city (or even those coming to the Main Line from the city and taking the R5) to stay and support local. The merchants are cleverly promoting their First Friday with the motto ‘Reduce Your Carbon Footprint: Walk around Wayne.’ Ayerle will have a Mimosa art reception highlighting local quilting and fiber artist Trina Mansfield (www.trinamansfield.com) who creates pictorial quilts. Mansfield’s unique works are currently featured in Fresh Ayer’s colorful window display.

Zeke Sieglaff, Tory Sieglaff and Beau MoffittThe Friendly Staff at Out There Outfitters

In addition to Ayerle’s efforts, the owners and staff of Wayne’s newest unique outdoor lifestyle store, Out There Outfitters (www.outthereoutfitters.com), are spearheading the night of activities. Outfitters employee and co-organizer of the inaugural event, Sarah Hamilton, has paired up with Ayerle working diligently in the last few weeks to bring a high level of local anticipation. Outfitters owner Zeke Sieglaff is offering a storewide 10% discount for the event and says those coming to Wayne on Friday can expect a party-like, dynamic atmosphere all over the town and especially inside his store. “We will have our doors open and can’t wait to host the families and kids who come to First Friday. We think it’s a great idea, makes a lot of sense and the Main Liners will enjoy what we have to offer with lots of food and beverages for everyone,” Sieglaff said. Outfitters has an array of upscale active outerwear for kid’s and families and fits in well with the kid-friendly theme of the night. Other activities include a beer tasting at Wayne beer distributor The Beer Yard (www.beeryard.com), wandering musicians and special store surprises.

Despite weeks of long hours and meetings, Ayerle says all the work and preparation has been well worth it because the night has ignited a new level of excitement and community within the local business owners. “A bunch of the stores are going out of their way to do something cool and exciting. One thing we really emphasized to the merchants is that this inaugural event is really what you make of it. October 3rd will set the stage for the other nights we have planned in November and December. And, everyone seems to be determined to be making it into a fabulous event and stepping up to the plate!” It seems like First Fridays in Wayne are destined to be a homerun.

First Fridays in Wayne, one of the Main Line’s most sidewalk friendly towns, will begin on October 3rd from 5-9pm and continue through December.

(logo design by Two Paperdolls, LLC, Wayne, PA)

Participating Business of Wayne’s Inaugural First Friday, October 3rd, 5-9pm include but are not limited to the following merchants: